e + passive agent
Who Performs a Passive Action
Agent e often corresponds to English “by”: e Mere, e ia, e ngā tamariki.
How It Works
Names and pronouns follow passive-agent e directly; do not insert personal article a. Common nouns retain their determiner: e ngā tamariki, “by the children.” Agent marking does not change with number, and the actor can remain unstated.
In E horoia ana ngā kapu e Mere., “The cups are being washed by Mere,” opening e belongs to e … ana; the later occurrence introduces Mere.
Passive questions can ask e wai?, “by whom?” A grammatical agent phrase can also contain an experiencer; stative causes have different marking.
Examples (4)
- I horoia te waka e ngā tamariki.
The vehicle was washed by the children.
The common-noun agent retains ngā.
- Kua karia te rua e ia.
The hole has been dug by that person.
Ia follows e directly.
- E horoia ana ngā kapu e Mere.
The cups are being washed by Mere.
Opening e frames the predicate; later e marks the agent.
- Kei te hikitia te pēke e wai?
Who is lifting the bag?
E wai questions the actor in a passive clause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Develop actor phrases with names, pronouns and common nouns, preserving their different article patterns. Then use e wai to question the actor while keeping the passive subject distinct.
- Who Receives the Action
Separating the affected subject from the optional actor provides the structure needed to identify exactly whom an e phrase names.
Level 3 - e ... anaAn Activity in Progress
The ongoing frame explains the opening e in E horoia ana ngā kapu e Mere, allowing learners to distinguish it from the later actor-marking e.
Level 2
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice e + passive agent in Bubblegum
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